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Acura takes the wraps off its highly anticipated next-generation NSX supercar, designed to deliver a groundbreaking “New Sports eXperience”

Jan 12, 2015 – DETROIT

Twenty-five years after the debut of the original, paradigm-shifting NSX supercar, Acura revealed the production version of its highly anticipated successor—the next-generation Acura NSX, developed and produced in the U.S.—to the world’s auto media at the 2015 North American International Auto Show today. The production model, in a scintillating NSX Red finish, took the stage with a growl from its twin-turbocharged engine.

The next generation NSX showcases the production styling, design and specifications of Acura’s mid-engine sports hybrid supercar, and Acura announced key details of the all-new vehicle’s design and performance. The company will begin accepting custom orders for the new NSX starting in the summer, with customer deliveries expected later in the year.

Specifically created to bring a “new sports experience” to the supercar segment, the NSX challenges conventional beliefs about supercars — much as the first generation did a quarter century ago. The approach is realized through an all-new power unit—a twin-turbocharged 75-degree DOHC V6 engine with a 9-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) and three-electric motor Sport Hybrid system—integrated with an ultra-rigid and lightweight multi-material body with world’s-first material applications and manufacturing processes. Developed under the concept of a “human-centered supercar,” a car that puts the driver first in every aspect of its design, the next-generation NSX will leverage its state-of-the-art hybrid supercar power unit, body and chassis to deliver exceptionally intuitive and immediate response to driver inputs.

“Our commitment was to create an all-new NSX that is true to the heritage of NSX—a supercar that delivers a new driving experience, one where every part of the vehicle is respectful of the smartest part of the car, the driver,” said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura division. “The soul of a car is the emotional connection it makes with the driver. With the NSX, that connection will be intense and immediate.”

As the pinnacle representation of Acura performance and prestige, the NSX was introduced at the auto show under the theme of “Precision Crafted Performance.” The theme was the original tagline for the Acura brand, a guiding force behind the development of the original NSX and a critical component of its launch.

The development of next-generation NSX, driven by precision crafted performance, has resulted in a clean-sheet design, which involved nearly three years of intensive development effort by a global design and engineering team led by engineers at the company’s development center in Raymond, Ohio.

“The NSX reflects Acura’s American roots and makes a powerful statement about the strong role being played by our North American operations in envisioning and building the future of Acura,” said Erik Berkman, executive vice president of the Acura Business Planning Office.

“Our global team embraced the challenge to create a new sports car experience, leveraging new technology to deliver incredibly vivid performance in a vehicle that responds intuitively and immediately to the will of the driver,” said Ted Klaus, chief engineer and global development leader of the new NSX. “The NSX delivers pinnacle supercar performance, with zero-delay acceleration and exhilarating, confidence-inspiring driving dynamics.”

Interwoven Dynamic Exterior Design
“The new NSX is a product of what we term ‘Interwoven Dynamic’ design,” said Michelle Christensen, NSX exterior design project leader. “It represents the ideal blending of exotic sports car form and supercar function.”

The NSX body features classic low and wide proportions married to modern and alluring surfacing, an aggressive front design, and tail lights that pays homage to the original NSX. The signature side intake and floating C-pillar collects air to feed the mid-mounted engine and directs airflow over the rear deck to increase downforce. To accommodate the new longitudinally mounted twin-turbo V6 and 9-speed DCT, the production vehicle was lengthened (+3 inches) and widened (+1 inch) with a slightly more cab-forward package, compared with the proportions of the NSX Concept shown in 2012.

Every element of the exterior body design has been carefully fashioned for total airflow management for both stability-enhancing downforce and vehicle systems cooling. The NSX has undergone extensive testing at the company’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel in Raymond, Ohio, leading to a number of significant changes from concept to final body design, including modified hood vents, new front fender vents, modified side air intakes, and an optimized deck spoiler.

Human Support Cockpit
“Consistent with the ‘human-centered supercar’ development concept, the NSX was designed from the inside out with an uncompromising focus on the driver,” said Johnathan Norman, NSX interior design project leader. “Like the original NSX, we created a ‘Human Support Cockpit’ that provides exceptional driver control, visibility and packaging, but further advanced to meet the extreme performance expectations of a modern supercar.”

The NSX’s instrument cluster features a dynamic TFT display that responds to changes in the driver-selectable Integrated Dynamics System with pertinent graphics and information. The center console holds the Power button that readies the sport hybrid powertrain, nested in the center of the new Integrated Dynamics System dial control. Interwoven under the handcrafted leather dash panel is the exposed midframe—a functioning chassis structural member that reflects the design aesthetic of a naked sport bike. An ultra-thin, yet super strong A-pillar design and low-mounted instrument panel minimize obstructions to the driver’s view of the road.

Sport Hybrid Power Unit
In keeping with the foundational philosophy of the original NSX, the next-generation NSX is designed to provide a new sports car experience that maximizes the capabilities of the driver, delivering exceptionally intuitive and confidence-inspiring response “at the will of the driver.”

Acura engineers leveraged the company’s expertise both with high-performance engine and hybrid electric-drive technologies, as well as its two decades of experience with industry-leading dynamic torque-vectoring technologies, including Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), to create the most sophisticated, technologically advanced and intelligent powertrain in the supercar universe.

The NSX uses its front electric motors for dynamic torque vectoring in addition to enhancing acceleration and braking performance. The result is an instantaneous “zero delay” launch performance and handling response that seems to anticipate the driver’s desire. The NSX has undergone extensive testing at some of the world’s most challenging race circuits, including the famed Nurburgring.

Advanced Multi-Material Body
Also in keeping with the legacy of NSX—the world’s first all-aluminum supercar—the new NSX features an innovative new multi-material body design with world’s-first material applications and construction processes.

The NSX body utilizes a space frame design—an internal frame constructed of aluminum, ultra-high strength steel and other advanced materials. Anchored by a carbon fiber floor, torsional and bending forces are taken up entirely by this ultra-rigid structure which also utilizes advanced joining technologies.

The NSX features world’s-first casting technology that combines the design and manufacturing flexibility of a casting process with the strength and elongation properties of a forged material, enabling significant weight reduction. The body panels are composed of a combination of aluminum and sheet molding composite (SMC).

Advanced Sport Package
The NSX features an “Advanced Sports Package” with placement of key powertrain components –the mid-mounted engine, twin front motors and Sport Hybrid battery pack and power control unit – optimized to concentrate vehicle mass low and toward the center of the vehicle, to further enhance dynamic response. The combination of this packaging concept and the lightweight body give the NSX the lowest center of gravity in its class.

Handling is greatly enhanced by Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All Wheel Drive (Sport Hybrid SH-AWD), enabling lightning-quick response to all driver inputs—steering, braking and throttle—along with the stability, control and launch performance of all-wheel drive. Agile Handling Assist (AHA) uses the subtle application of brake torque to further enhance yaw response and dynamic stability.

The NSX’s dial-operated Integrated Dynamic System features Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track modes. The system adjusts engine, motor, transmission and chassis response, as well as the engine sound level, based on the needs of the driver and driving environment. Quiet mode enables electric-only driving at lower speeds for short durations. Dynamic vehicle responses become increasingly sharp as the driver moves from Sport to Sport+ mode and, finally, to Track mode, where the NSX reveals the full spectrum of its performance capabilities.

The NSX also features a “launch” function to achieve the ultimate in “zero delay” launch performance, aided by both the engine and three electric motors.

New Production Facility
The NSX will be manufactured exclusively at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, where approximately 100 highly-skilled associates will conduct full body construction, paint, and final assembly using domestic and globally-sourced parts.

The PMC and its processes have been developed to perfectly blend associate craftsmanship and technology in a new approach to manufacturing. By in-housing the body construction, Acura maintains complete control over total body quality, including critical strength, suspension accuracy, and fit and finish—from initial construction all the way to final assembly.

Associates will utilize innovative techniques to deliver next-generation craftsmanship and world-class quality in the realm of specialized, supercar vehicle production.

TORRANCE, Calif., July 31, 2014 – After completing an initial test program, Acura Motorsports will debut the new 2015 Acura TLX GT in Pirelli World Challenge competition this weekend at American Honda’s “home” circuit, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in the hands of RealTime Racing owner/driver Peter Cunningham.

The new TLX GT will move Acura into the top category of the Pirelli World Challenge, facing competition from the Audi R8, Bentley Continental, Cadillac CTS-V, Dodge Viper, Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo, McLaren 12C and Porsche 911.

Cunningham will pilot the Acura in a pair of Pirelli World Challenge events during a doubleheader race weekend, on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3. The Pirelli World Challenge series supports with the Honda Indy 200 Verizon IndyCar Series weekend at Mid-Ohio.

“We’re excited to debut the Acura TLX GT race car in front of our ‘hometown’ audience of associates from the many Honda facilities in central Ohio,” said Art St. Cyr, President of Honda Performance Development and Vice President, Auto Operations, American Honda.

“The competition in the Pirelli World Challenge is fierce, includingmany of the luxury makes the TLX will compete with on the sales floor. Acura has never shied away from a challenge. Instead, we seek it out, both on-track and in the marketplace.”

Developed from the production Acura TLX by HPD and RealTime Racing, the Acura TLX GT features HPD chassis and aerodynamic performance parts approved for Pirelli World Challenge competition. It is powered by a direct-injected, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, developed by HPD from the production TLX, and will utilize allwheel drive, as found in Acura’s SH-AWD system.

RTR has raced and won with both Honda and Acura products for more than two decades Since entering the Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing-sanctioned World Challenge series in 1993, RTR has scored a record 85 race victories on its way to 14 Manufacturers’ Championships and 14 Drivers’ Championships.

“The Pirelli World Challenge has a lot of strong competitors in GT, but the TLX is the only all-wheel-drive car in the category. For our four-door sedan to be racing head-to-head with the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini, among others, is pretty cool,” RTR team principal Cunningham said. “We’re ready to go, and we’re going to show the competition what the Acura TLX GT can do.”

TORRANCE, Calif., July 11, 2014 – Record sales in the first six months of 2014 has strengthened the third-generation MDX’s position as America’s best-selling three-row luxury SUV – not only in 2014, but of all time. Through June, sales of MDX are up 68.4 percent (compared to the same period last year) to 30,664 units, bringing cumulative sales of the MDX over its nearly 15-year history to 692,710 units, making it the most popular three-row luxury SUV of all time*. In fact, the MDX has topped all other three-row luxury SUVs in the annual sales rankings in every year since 2002. Cumulative U.S. sales of MDX are anticipated to surpass 700,000 units before the end of the year.

“Luxury car buyers have spoken, and we really want to thank our Acura customers for making the MDX the clear winner among three-row luxury SUVs,” said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of Acura Division. “MDX is the clear benchmark in its class, consistently delivering the best combination of features, function and performance that luxury buyers are after.”

Acura pioneered the three-row crossover luxury SUV segment when it launched the first-generation MDX in 2000 as a 2001 model, when the MDX captured both the Motor Trend SUV of the Year and North American Truck of the Year titles. For three generations, the U.S. engineering team responsible for MDX has steadily advanced and refined the original concept of the MDX – a three-row, 7-passenger luxury SUV with superior packaging, fuel efficiency, and ride and handling performance.

The third-generation, 2014 Acura MDX, introduced in June 2013, has undergone a complete makeover, starting with the development of an all-new, more rigid and lightweight body and chassis, dropping more than 275 pounds versus the previous model and boasting major gains in body rigidity, aerodynamic efficiency and low running resistance.

A safety leader, the third-generation MDX applies Acura’s next-generation ACE™ body structure and the first-ever use of Acura’s new hot-stamped steel, one-piece door stiffener ring. As a result of these and other design enhancements, the MDX obtained class-leading EPA fuel-economy ratings of 20/28/23 mpg city/highway/combined while earning both a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the NHTSA and a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS, a feat only one other luxury SUV has matched. The MDX also offers greater interior comfort, advanced connectivity via its next-generation AcuraLink™ system, and greatly improved third-row entry and exit via its kid-friendly One-Touch Walk-In feature.

The MDX has been designed, developed and manufactured in North America for three generations. The third-generation MDX is manufactured exclusively at the company’s Lincoln, Alabama automobile and engine production facility, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Relationship begins with significant presence at upcoming Quicken Loans National

TournamentPartnership includes vehicle and philanthropic support for STEM- focused educational programs

TORRANCE, Calif., June 18, 2014 – Acura is teaming up with the Tiger Woods Foundation in a multi-year agreement that includes vehicle and philanthropic support to the foundation’s efforts in advancing education programs for underserved and low-income students. As the official vehicle of the foundation, Acura will have a significant presence at all three Tiger Woods Foundation supported golf tournaments, starting with the 2014 Quicken Loans National Tournament taking place June 23-29 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. As the exclusive automotive sponsor, Acura will be providing more than 180 vehicles for use at the tournament and will host product displays for guests at the event. Acura also will have a significant presence at the Deutsche Bank Championship (Aug. 27-Sept. 1) and the exclusive World Challenge.

“The relationship with the Tiger Woods Foundation further strengthens Acura’s already deep ties to the game of golf while benefiting an organization that is advancing educational efforts critical to this nation in the areas of math, science and engineering ,” said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president and division manager of Acura. “We look forward to working with the Tiger Woods Foundation over the next three years and feel we’ve already hit one down the center of the fairway with our support at the Congressional next weekend.”

In addition to serving as the official vehicle of the foundation, Acura will also provide philanthropic support to Tiger Woods Learning Center, which will include support of STEM (science, technology, education and math) focused programs benefiting underserved and low-income students. The company will draw on its global engineering capabilities to work with the Learning Center and co-develop advanced robotics and engineering labs to provide additional learning opportunities for students.

“I’m looking forward to having Acura join my foundation’s team at the Quicken Loans National and at our learning centers,” Tiger Woods said. “It will be cool to see how they incorporate their technology with our STEM initiatives for underserved students nationwide, including our three D.C.-based learning centers.”

Acura has a long history with the game of golf including a 10-year relationship as the official vehicle of the Pinehurst Golf Club in North Carolina, site of the 2014 U.S. Open. Acura also serves as the title sponsor of the Acura College Alumni Team Championship, which brings collegiate teams from around the country together for the ultimate golf tournament of champions.

“We are thrilled Acura is partnering with us at our tournaments and education platforms,” Rick Singer, Tiger Woods Foundation president and CEO said. “Given the company’s exceptional history in premier engineering, our learning center students will absolutely benefit from this addition to our STEM programming.”

About AcuraAcura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance-luxury vehicles through a network of 275 U.S. Acura dealers. The Acura lineup features five distinctive models including the RLX luxury flagship sedan, the TLX performance luxury sedan (arriving this summer), the ILX compact luxury sedan, the 5-passenger RDX luxury crossover SUV, and the 7-passenger MDX luxury sport utility vehicle.

About the Tiger Woods FoundationWhere you come from shouldn’t mean failure. At the Tiger Woods Foundation, it doesn’t. Our programs break the cycle of poverty through college-access opportunities for low-income students. At Tiger Woods Learning Center campuses across the country, scholars in grades 5-12 are immersed in an interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculum. Here, they make the connection between school and career, while planning a road map to college. Tailored to the needs of the first-generation scholar, the Earl Woods Scholarship Program provides college scholarships coupled with an unyielding support system. But we don’t stop there. Through dedicated mentors, professional development workshops and internships, our one-to-one philosophy ensures the success of our students in college and beyond. See how our scholars are smashing the cycle of poverty at tigerwoodsfoundation.org and @TWFoundation.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the popular award-winning Web series created by and starring Jerry Seinfeld, will return to Crackle andComediansInCarsGettingCoffee.com for four additional seasons, a total of 24 new episodes, all sponsored exclusively by Acura. This new deal is for seasons six, seven, eight and nine of the series and will begin following the previously announced fourth and fifth seasons of the show, which are set to launch early this summer and fall respectively.

Since its debut in July 2012, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has delivered more than 40 million streams, garnered rave reviews, and earned Jerry Seinfeld a Primetime Emmy® nomination in the Outstanding Special Class – Short-Format Nonfiction Programs category and two recent 2014 Webby Awards for Best Individual Performance (both the Webby and the People’s Voice Award). Additional accolades include a Bronze Telly Award in 2014 for Branded Content with Acura; a 2014 Webby Media and Entertainment Honoree and Branded Content Honoree for Interactive Advertising and Media; and a special Webby Award in 2013 for Outstanding Comedic Performance.

“The MDX and RDX continue to win accolades for their outstanding combination of exhilarating, performance, great fuel efficiency, and outstanding value on a luxury scale,” said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura Sales. “With the five-passenger RDX and new seven-passenger MDX, Acura has unquestionably two of the most competitive luxury SUVs in the market.”

The “Best Cars for the Money” methodology combines quality and value data into a composite score. Within each of 21 award categories, the vehicle with the highest score is named the “Best Car for the Money” in that category. Quality is measured by the overall score a vehicle achieved in the U.S. News car rankings at the time the awards are published. The rankings, updated monthly at www.usnews.com/cars, compare cars on the basis of safety, reliability and a consensus of industry experts’ opinions. Value is measured by a combination of a vehicle’s five-year total cost of ownership and the average price paid for the vehicle at the time the awards are published.

Acura Motorsports today pulled the wraps off the new 2015 Acura TLX GT Race Car at the North American International Auto Show, announcing plans to move up to the GT category of the growing and highly competitive Pirelli World Challenge Championship.

To be campaigned by long time Acura Motorsports partner RealTime Racing, the new TLX GT will move Acura into the top category of the Pirelli World Challenge, facing competition that includes the Audi R8 LMS, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes SLS, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911 and Ferrari 458.

“The 2015 Acura TLX is a true luxury sport sedan, so it is fitting that the car be raced against several of its natural luxury competitors in the Pirelli World Challenge,” said Art St. Cyr, President of Honda Performance Development and Vice President-Product Planning and Logistics, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Acura and Peter Cunningham’s RealTime Racing organization have a long history of success together, and we look forward to adding to that tradition with the Acura TLX GT race car in 2014.”

Developed from the production 2015 Acura TLX by HPD, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., the Acura TLX GT Race Car will feature HPD chassis and aerodynamic performance parts approved for Pirelli World Challenge competition, and will be powered by a direct-injected, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, developed by HPD from the normally aspirated, production TLX luxury sport sedan. It will utilize all-wheel drive, as found in Acura’s Super-Handling All Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD™).

The Acura TLX GT Race Car will be campaigned by Wisconsin-based RealTime Racing, the most successful team in Pirelli World Challenge history. Established in 1987 by owner/driver Peter Cunningham, RTR has raced and won with both Honda and Acura products. Since entering the Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing-sanctioned World Challenge series in 1993, the team has scored a record 85 race victories on its way to 14 Manufacturers’ Championships and 14 Drivers’ Championships.

“In our 27 years of racing Hondas and Acuras, we have developed a clear understanding of what it takes to win races and championships,” RTR team principal Cunningham said. “In 2014, the Pirelli World Challenge GT class looks to be more competitive and diverse than at any time in the 25-year history of the series. RealTime has competed successfully in this category before, and we look forward to the challenges that lie ahead. With the onslaught of these world-class GT-3 competitors joining the fray, we will be working hard to develop the new TLX GT into a winning package. But that’s what we love to do.”

About Honda Performance Development

HPD was founded in 1993 as the performance arm of American Honda, to spearhead the company’s entry into Indy car racing. No other manufacturer has matched Honda’s success in Indy cars, which includes 204 race victories, 15 drivers’ championships, six manufacturers’ championships and nine consecutive Indianapolis 500 victories. In 2013, Honda powered veteran Scott Dixon to four race wins and the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship; and Tristan Vautier to series Rookie of the Year honors.

HPD’s prototype racing efforts have resulted in more than 60 victories and multiple American Le Mans Series championships. The company’s sports car racing debut in 2007 at the 12 Hours of Sebring marked the first win for HPD’s LM-V8 engine; and the first for a Honda racing engine designed and developed outside of Japan. HPD won the LMP2 title in the inaugural 2012 World Endurance Championship and has twice won the LMP2 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2010. In 2013, HPD and Honda again swept the LMP1 and LMP2 manufacturers’, engine, team and drivers’ championships in the American Le Mans Series; while HPD-equipped Strakka Racing claimed the LMP1 class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for private team entries.

HPD participates in competition on both two wheels and four. The company offers a complete line of race engines for cars from grass roots to pinnacle; for professional, amateur and entry-level racers. For more information about HPD and the company’s racing and Street Performance product lines, please visit http://hpd.honda.com.